Marisa's Dream
by Belacquagirl
Summary: A short story about a dream that Marisa Coulter had while she was keeping Lyra in the cave...


Mrs. Coulter's scream ripped the night sky. She quickly sat down in her sleeping bag, terrified, her eyes wide, and looked around. The entrance of the cave was barely distinguishable in the moon light and she could see nothing inside. A sudden panic started to grow on her chest and it felt to her as if it were going to explode. She rapidly was on her feet and fled into the darkness.

Marisa didn't even need to see where she was going, she simply ran to the back of the cave and knelt beside a rock. In front of her, was the reason of all her concern, of all her life. She looked at Lyra, trying hard to see her face in the deep darkness. A dim light made everything clear and she saw her daemon walking slowly in her direction with a lighten candle.

She looked back to her daughter and stroked her hair. The touch of her hot hand made the girl shiver, for it was cold. Mrs. Coulter saw Lyra move a little her head, as well as Pantalaimon, who adjusted himself in a new position.

"Will…" Lyra murmured from the depths of her drugged sleep.

She was certain that in some hours Lyra would be completely awake and, with a sad smile on her face, she hugged tight her child, thinking in the frightening dream she had just had

Lyra had woken and Marisa hadn't seen it, she was deeply asleep in her sleeping bag, with the golden monkey daemon beside her. Lyra was dizzy, but with deft and quick movements she passed her sleeping mother and ran to the path that took to the village. In her way, although he could not be seen from the cave, even being close, was Father MacPhail.

He held a gun, a shining small silver gun, but Marisa knew that that was the most powerful gun someone could ever imagine in using. In the moment he saw someone was coming down the trail, he pointed his gun towards the small girl, holding Lyra at gunpoint. She was still under some effects of the drug, and therefore, sleepy and slow. With scare and surprise in her face, she looked to her daemon, and then to the priest. Pantalaimon gave two steps back, and thought to her: Scream Lyra, scream! She can't be worst than him! Lyra, terrified, gave a step back.

At the same time, Marisa was waking, something was wrong. She looked to the entrance of the cave to take a look at Lyra, when she heard some dry leaves cracking under someone's body. She turned her look to the path just to see her child, mute with terror, giving a step back and a shot was heard.

Marisa looked at her daemon, now he was delicately smoothing Pan's fur, his expression loving, something Marisa hadn't seen in many years, more precisely, since her last night with Asriel. Lyra moved again, clearly something was annoying her and she slightly pressed her eyes. Her mother gave a gentle kiss on her forehead and she blew out the candles.

"You're too worried about it. Maybe you should let her wake, maybe they aren't even looking for her… at least not to kill, as you think." said the Golden Monkey.

"You know what they are capable of, Ozymandias, and I won't take the risk. I won't let anyone hurt her."

The daemon thought it was better not to reply and tell her things she already knew, she just didn't want to accept. He didn't understand why was she doing all that. Marisa, the same Marisa that even with his arguments gave Lyra away, Marisa that liked to believe that she didn't love her daughter at all, even though he knew she was wrong, the same Marisa who, above all things, never had admitted that she was wrong, had came back to seek for her child.

Lyra was breathing harder, bad dreams, her mother could see. Mrs. Coulter wondered with Lyra was dreaming with her, and for that reason, was afraid, but she thought it was best not to think about it.

By the time the sun was rising Marisa wouldn't go back to sleep, the dream still frightened her, just to think about the Church getting close to Lyra… She shock her head. So she let go of her daughter, giving her a kiss. In the moment she stood up, Lyra moaned and stirred. Her mother slowly exited the cave and walked in the direction of the river. She would wash herself and after, she knew, she would have to prepare a drugged tea.


End file.
